Photo courtesy of the Football Association Archives
After the opening shot, we continue to present the candidates: In honor of the 73rd Independence Day of the State of Israel, the Sports Channel announces the opening of a huge project, the like of which has never been done in Israel – “the composition of the state”. In the past, quite a few polls were conducted, in which Israel’s best footballers were selected. But there has never been a project of this kind and of this magnitude that pays homage to all the outstanding players who have been here, including defenders and brakes, who usually get less respect than the midfielders and strikers.
And this is exactly the idea: to select the 11 best footballers in the history of the country, according to their roles on the field. By the way, in addition to the 11 players, there will be another selection of the greatest coach in the history of Israeli football.
Over the next few weeks, the names of the 144 finalists, 12 players per position, as well as 12 coaches will be published here on the site.
On the eve of Independence Day, April 25, the final results of the huge referendum will be announced and “the composition of the state” will be announced. All football fans in the country, young and old, are invited to participate in the selection, which will include all the big names who glorified Israeli football, from Yankele Khodorov to Manor Solomon, from 1948 to the present day.
In addition to the surfers, a team has been established that includes 12 professionals, past coaches and media people who know well and closely the history of Israeli football. The final choice will be made after weighting the choice of surfers and the choice of past coaches and journalists. Needless to say, past coaches will not participate in the selection of the “coach of the country”, but only in the selection of players.
The “State Composition” will be in a 3-3-4 formation and will include a goalkeeper, a right defender, a left defender, two brakes, a back midfielder, two front midfielders and three strikers.
After the goalkeepers category, they move on to the position of defenders. Each surfer has the option of one vote for each position. It is clear to everyone that this project will provoke countless heated debates among football fans, but what is really important is to give respect to Israeli football, to the current players, but also to the stars of the past, some of whom have been somewhat forgotten.
In the coming weeks, as the project progresses, we will try to bring the stories of those cultural heroes, the same players who made the history of Israeli football on their own feet. Because that’s ultimately what’s really behind the “composition of the state.”
Get the 24 candidates for the greatest defenders ever – 12 right-handers and 12 left-handers.
Right defenders
Alon Harazi
Born: February 13, 1971
Team appearances: 89 (1992-2006)
Groups: Hakoach Ramat Gan, Maccabi Haifa, Betar Jerusalem.
Championships (9): Maccabi Haifa 1991, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009. Betar Jerusalem 1998.
Cups (3): Maccabi Haifa 1991, 1993, 1995.
Eli Desa
Born: December 3, 1992
Team appearances: 32 (2015 to date)
Teams: Betar Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Vitesse Arnheim.
Championship (1): Maccabi Tel Aviv 2019.
Alon Hazan
Born: September 14, 1967
Team appearances: 72 (1990-2000)
Teams: Hapoel Petah Tikva, Hapoel Ashdod, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Tel Aviv, MS. Ashdod, Watford.
Championship (1): Maccabi Haifa 1994
Cups (3): Maccabi Haifa 1993, 1995. Hapoel Petah Tikva 1992.
Eitan Aharoni
Born: December 1, 1962
Team appearances: 16 (1986-1992)
Teams: Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Haifa.
Shraga Bar
Born: March 24, 1948
Team appearances: 34 (1968-1972)
Teams: Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Raj.
Championships (3): Maccabi Netanya 1971, 1974, 1978.
Cup (1): Maccabi Netanya 1978.
Shlomo Shirzi
Born: December 18, 1960
Team appearances: 11 (1983-1985)
Teams: Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Jaffa, Betar Jerusalem, Hapoel Rishon LeZion.
Championships (2): Maccabi Netanya 1983, Betar Jerusalem 1987.
Trophies (3): Betar Jerusalem 1985, 1986, 1989.
Avinoam Ovadia
Born: February 27, 1960
Team appearances: 12 (1987-1988)
Groups: Samson Tel Aviv
Felix Halfon
Born: April 7, 1972
Team appearances: 38 (1992-1998)
Teams: Hapoel Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Betar Jerusalem, Betar Beer Sheva, Bnei Yehuda, Maccabi Bat Yam, Hapoel Kfar Shalem, Betar Jaffa, Hapoel Kiryat Shalom , Hapoel Neve Golan, Ramat Hasharon, Elitzur Jaffa, Urban Lod, Hapoel Bat Yam.
Cup (1): Hapoel Tel Aviv 1999.
Avi Cohen from Jerusalem
Born: June 12, 1962
Team appearances: 32 (1989-1995)
Teams: Betar Jerusalem, Maccabi Sha’arim, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Championships (3): Betar 1987. Maccabi Tel Aviv 1992, 1995.
Cup (3): Betar 1985, 1989. Maccabi Tel Aviv 1994.
Uri Binyamin
Born: March 11, 1954
Group: Hapoel Beer Sheva
Championships (2): 1975, 1976.
Ofer Talker
Born: April 22, 1973
Team appearances: 23 (1997-2001)
Groups: Ashdod, Hapoel Haifa, Betar Jerusalem, Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Kfar Saba
Championship (1): Hapoel Haifa 1999
Nimrod Dreyfus
Born: November 23, 1950
Team appearances: 1 (1979)
Groups: Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Raj.
Left defenders
Moshe Glam
Born: November 28, 1968
Team appearances: 30 (1993-1997)
Teams: Betar Netanya, Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, MS Ashdod, Maccabi Ramat Amidar, Maccabi Achi Nazareth, Maccabi Kfar Yona, Maccabi Hasharon Netanya
Championship (1): Maccabi Haifa 1994
Cup (1): Maccabi Haifa 1995
Moshe (Motzi) Leon
Born: January 9, 1944
Team appearances: 26 (1962-1977)
Teams: Maccabi Jaffa, Westio Apollo (South Africa)
Menachem (Miko) Blue
Born: December 26, 1947
Appearances in the national team: 57 (1965-1975)
Group: Maccabi Tel Aviv
Championships (5): 1966/8, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1978
Trophies (5): 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1977
Adoram Casey
Born: June 17, 1972
Team appearances: 54 (1994-2006)
Teams: Samson Tel Aviv, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Maccabi Haifa
Championships (4): Maccabi Haifa 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006
Cup (1): Maccabi Haifa 1998
Yaakov Cohen
Born: September 25, 1956
Team appearances: 19 (1976-1981)
Teams: Hapoel Beer Sheva, Brighton (England), Betar Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hakoach Ramat Gan, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Petah Tikva
Championships (3): Hapoel BS 1975, Hapoel BS 1976, Hapoel Tel Aviv 1989
Merylie score
Born: February 11, 1957
Team appearances: 6 (1985-1987)
Teams: Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa
Championships (3): Maccabi Haifa 1984, 1985, 1989
David Pizanti
Born: May 27, 1962
Team appearances: 30 (1983-1989)
Teams: Maccabi Netanya, F.C. Cologne (Germany), Hapoel Tel Aviv, Queens Park Rangers (England), Tzafririm Holon, Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Rishon Lezion
Championships (2): Maccabi Netanya 1980, 1983
Dedi Ben Dayan
Born: November 22, 1978
Appearances in the national team: 28 (2000-2012)
Teams: Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Colorado Rapids (USA), Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus), Hapoel Acre, Bnei Sakhnin, Maccabi Petah Tikva, Maccabi Gates
Championships (1): Hapoel Tel Aviv 2010
Cups (5): Maccabi Tel Aviv 2001, 2002, Hapoel Tel Aviv 2010, 2011, Omonia Nicosia 2012
Yaakov Hillel
Born: August 27, 1966
Team appearances: 7 (1992-1993)
Teams: Hapoel Lod, Shimshon Tel Aviv, Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Betar Jerusalem, Hapoel Taibe, Hapoel Tel Aviv
Championships (5): Maccabi Tel Aviv 1992, Betar Jerusalem 1993, Maccabi Tel Aviv 1995, Maccabi Tel Aviv 1996, Hapoel Tel Aviv 2000
Cups (5): Hapoel Lod 1984, Maccabi Tel Aviv 1994, Maccabi Tel Aviv 1996, Hapoel Tel Aviv 1999, Hapoel Tel Aviv 2000
David Amsalem
Born: September 4, 1971
Team appearances: 31 (1992-1999)
Groups: Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Betar Jerusalem, Crystal Palace (England), Hapoel Haifa
Championships (4): Betar Jerusalem 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008
Cups (2): Betar Jerusalem 2008, 2009
Yigal Entebbe
Born: August 1, 1974
Team appearances: 11 (2002-2007)
Teams: Maccabi Herzliya, Hakoach Ramat Gan, Nes Ziona Section, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Hapoel Nahalat Yehuda
Championships (1): Hapoel Tel Aviv 2000
Trophies (4): Hapoel Tel Aviv 2000, 2006, 2007, 2012
Njuan Grave
Born: January 30, 1974
Team appearances: 18 (1998-2000)
Teams: Maccabi Achi Nazareth, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Haifa, Aston Villa (England), Hapoel Petah Tikva
Championship (2): Hapoel Haifa 1999, Maccabi Haifa 2005
Cup (1): Maccabi Haifa 1995
Vote in the poll!
